Catholics believe Pope Francis is doing a good job, but many appear to disagree with Church doctrine on a number of major issues, according to a global poll out on Sunday.
The survey by the US-based Spanish-language network Univision of Catholics in 12 countries found that those most likely to support Church teachings are married men and women 55 years and older who attend Mass frequently and live in rural areas.
For the rest, opinions on issues such as gay marriage, abortion, divorce and female priests vary by region, age, geographic location and income.
According to the poll, 87 per cent of Catholics believe that Francis is doing a good or excellent job as his papacy reaches its first anniversary in March.
Yet 78 per cent favor using contraceptives, a violation of Church doctrine.
On other issues there are marked regional differences: for example 80 per cent of Catholics in Africa and 76 per cent in the Philippines support the ban on female priests, but only 30 per cent in Europe and 36 per cent in the United States are in favor.
The most controversial subject is gay marriage: opposition to such unions is overwhelming in Africa at 99 per cent, compared with 40 per cent in the United States.
“On average, five per cent more women, 18 per cent more young people and 10 per cent more upper and upper middle class members are in favour of gay marriage compared to their counterparts,” the pollsters said.
Catholics in Spain — which for centuries enforced Church doctrine through the Holy Inquisition — are among the most liberal in the world, according to the survey, along with those in France.
Catholics in Africa and the Philippines are the most conservative, while those in Argentina and Brazil are mostly liberal.
The poll by Bendixen & Amandi International for Univision surveyed 12,036 Catholics in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, France, Italy, Mexico, Philippines, Poland, Spain, Uganda and the United States.
The countries represent 61 percent of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, and pollsters say the survey has a 0.9 percent overall margin of error.
February 9, 2014
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